Lake Elsinore super bloom has visitors flocking to see poppies

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KABC) -- The heavy rain may have made the last few weeks a bit gloomy, but the aftermath of all that precipitation is a super bloom of poppies in the Inland Empire.

The hillsides in Lake Elsinore are awash in a blaze of golden-orange poppies. That has visitors pulling off Interstate 15 and onto Walker Canyon Road to view the fields of wildflowers.

"My husband said look at those beautiful flowers, and I looked. My son said, 'Dad turn around, turn around, lets take pictures,'" said Karen Gomez.

Gomez and her family were on their way back home to Chula Visita when the poppies grabbed their attention. They can thank Mother Nature for the beauty and weeks and weeks of rain that created the super bloom.

"Its been a wild season of fires to rain, and now I feel like Spring came out today with all these poppies," said Shannon Moyer.

The Corona resident visited the attraction with her husband and children in tow to take family photos. They were joined by dozen of others posing for photos and perfecting their selfies.

"We came to spend some time in the flower fields and get some good picture for Instagram," said Allison McGinnis

Lake Elsinore city officials want visitors to enjoy the sights but with care. This year, the city launched its "Preserve While You Observe" campaign. They are encouraging people to stay off the flowers and on the path.

"You can see people just trampled them. It's not like there aren't plenty of them but still, its bad for the environment," said Lake Elsinore resident Erin Bock. "This year is really spectacular, and we are just getting started."

Visitors should also park in designated areas along Walker Canyon and dispose of their trash in provided containers.